Flush valve for toilet tanks



Aug. 4, 1959 FLUSH VALVE FOR TOILET TANKS Filed Jan. 14, 1958 ix r INVENTOR.

THOMAS Qossuseiae T. ROSENBERG 2,897,513

United States Patent 9 2,897,513 FLUSH VALVE FOR TOILET TANKS Thomas Rosenberg, New York, N.Y. Application January 14, 1958, Serial No. 708,776 1 Claim. (Cl. 4-57) This invention relates to a flush valve for toilet tanks, and it consists in the constructions, arrangements and combinations herein described and claimed.

Considerable difficulty has been experienced in obtaining a straight rise and fall of ball valves for toilet flush tanks notwithstanding that the ball valve includes a lift rod which is guided by a bracket mounted upon the flush pipe of the systems. The difficulties in prior structures, it has been noted, is that the lift rod associated with the ball valve and guided by the bracket, may partake of lateral movements so that the ball often comes to rest upon the valve seat in a canted position which obviously permits the waste of water. This difiiculty has been overcome in the provision of an open work cage-like member including an annular ring encircling an upper portion of the ball for shunting the ball valve to the valve seat.

It is therefore the cardinal object of the invention to provide a flush valve unit comprising a ball suspended within an open work semi-spherical cage including a ring member of a diameter greater than the ball, the latter being axially suspended for universal movement from a centrally disposed internally threaded trunnion of the cage, the trunnion threadedly receiving the conventional vertically guided lift rod for unseating the ball from the flushing outlet.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a flush valve for toilet tanks which embodies a very simple construction of guiding means for insuring full and proper seating engagement of the ball with the flush tank outlet which comprises an annular ring member of a diameter greater than the ball, the ring member having circumferentially spaced arcuate support rods of a length to maintain the ring at a level above the horizontal medial axis of the ball when an axial trunnion secured to the rods is engaged with the conventional lift rods of the toilet unit.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a ball valve having a non-smooth exterior surface, said surface more readily conforming and adhering to the valve seat of the flush tank.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will be apparent from the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation of a conventional overflow pipe and guide bracket for the lift rod associated with my novel ball valve.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the ball valve illustrating the suspension thereof within the guide cage.

2,897,513 Patented Aug. 4, 195.9

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical section through the ball and cage.

Reference is first invited to Figure l of the drawing, wherein a valve seat 10 is shown having communication with a conventional overflow pipe 11 through a fitting 12. The overflow pipe 11 includes a guide bracket 13, the free end of which is provided with aligned openings for reciprocably receiving a ball lift rod 14, the lift rod being actuated by a link 15 and lever 16, as is well understood in the art.

Attention is now directed to Figures 2,- 3 and 4 for an understanding of the construction of my improved ball valve 17, which it will be noted is of a diameter greater than that of the valve seat 10 so that the lower periphery of the ball will firmly engage the valve seat.

The ball 17 is formed with a pair of axial openings 18 and 18 through which an eyelet 19 may be drawn to position the same exteriorly of the ball, extensions of the eyelet retaining the same in the opening 18'.

The ball guiding cage is generally indicated by the reference character 20, and in the present instance comprises a vertical trunnion 21, the lower end of which is formed with an eye 22 for reception of a ring 23, the eyelet 19 and ring 23 being connected by a ring 24. The trunnion 21 is formed with a threaded bore 25 for securement of the lower end of the lift rod 14, and radiating from the trunnion 21, a suitable number of support rods 26 are secured, these rods being of arcuate formation and of a length to support a ball shunt ring 27 at a level above the horizontal medial axis of the ball, which location of the ring 27 imparts a greater shunting movement of the ball due to water pressure or suction created by the outfiowing water in the flush tank and assures proper alignment between the valve seat and the ball to effect a positive seal therebetween.

In use, when the lever 16 is actuated from the exterior of the tank, as is customary, the ball 17 will be raised from the valve seat 10 through operation of the link 15 and the lift rod 14. The lift rod 14 must be freely slidable through the openings in the guide bracket 13, with resultant lateral movements of the lift rod, as shown in exaggerated form in Figure 4. However, as water in the flush tank recedes, a suction and turbulence will be created in the vicinity of the ball setting up oscillations to the ball which will be deflected by contact with the ring 27, which action will continue until the ball is fully and positively seated in the valve seat.

The non-smooth surface of the ball 17 will insure positive seal with the valve seat, especially if the seat may be pitted due to corrosion or otherwise.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of the device this is by way of illustration only, and I consider as my own, all such modifications in construction as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A flush valve unit for use in a flush tank having a water oultet valve seat and an overflow pipe, a guide bracket supported by the overflow pipe, comprising a valve lift rod having a lower threaded end and slidably guided for vertical movements in the free end of said bracket, a vertically disposed trunnion having an internally threaded bore receiving the lower threaded end a a p V V 3 of said lift rod, equally spaced arcuate shaped support arms having upper ends thereof secured to said trunnion, the lower ends of said arms being connected at equally spaced points upon an annular shunting ring, said trunnion also having an eye on the lower end thereof, a ball valve having an aperture in the upper end thereof, swivel means connecting said trunnion eye and said ball aperture comprising at least one ring and an eyelet suspended therefrom, the ring being connected to said trunnion eye, the eyelet being connected to said ball aperture, said shunting ring being of a diameter greater than the ball valve permitting free swinging movements ofathe ball valve therewithin and said swivel means being of a length to suspend said ball valve at a level to contact said shunting ring at points above the horizontal medial axis of the ball valve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 941,283 Snaman Nov. 23, 1909 10 2,688,753 Limbert Sept. 14, 1954 2,714,724 Hendrickson Aug. 9, 1955 2,788,526 Blain Apr. 16, 1957 

